Rajiv Gandhi remains the dearest and Rahul dear for the people of Amethi

AMETHI: If there is one place in India where Rahul Gandhi can claim pride in being addressed as Shehzada, or the Prince - a moniker given by Narendra Modi only to mock him - it is Amethi.

His praja, despite nursing a few pet peeves, will not blame their MP for their miseries. Instead, they want the Prince to become the King someday, just like his father Rajiv Gandhi did by becoming the Prime Minister three decades ago. Such ingrained is the family legacy in this Congress bastion that its people want only a Gandhi to win in Lok Sabha elections.

It is because of the Gandhi family that the people in India know about Amethi. "Congress ka khaake bhajpa ko vote denge ka (Will we ditch the Congress which has served us and vote for the BJP)" asks Niazuddin, a shop owner, as he spits a long stream of paan onto the road.

Ask them who is responsible for the potholed roads and they shoot back cursing the state governments for deliberately not allowing "Sonia and Rahulji" to improve the prevailing conditions. For the several factories which lie defunct on the outskirts Amethi, they blame the factory owners for "backstabbing Rajiv Gandhiji" by not pursuing the venture.

From acute unemployment to lack of education, drinking water and medical facilities, people who never could afford to go to the school meticulously argue that whatever little development Amethi has seen in the past four decades is only because of the Gandhi family.

And the most loved among them is "Raju" Gandhi - that is how they fondly remember Rajiv Gandhi. Many in Amethi have named their children Raju or Rajiv. But people are not that happy with Raju's son.

"Rahul is reaping the benefits of seeds sown by Indira, Sanjay and Rajiv Gandhi. If they were alive, they would have changed our fortunes," rues 60-year-old Raj Kumar Mishra.

"He (Rahul) only comes to celebrate honeymoon here during elections," says Mishra, quickly adding: "Who else shall we vote for? We once gave an opportunity to the BJP, in 1998. But it did nothing for us."

For the youth of Amethi, except for trying to join the Army or CRPF, there is little to dream about.

"I am not inclined on joining the Army but I have no other option. Education standards are abysmally low here and there are no job opportunities. All the factories installed are 30 to 40 kms from Amethi," regrets 21-year-old Riazuddin.

Nevertheless, Riazuddin will still vote for the Congress. His logic: "It is only because of the Gandhis that Amethi has an identity in this country."

Robbing Gujarat Chief Minister and BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi of any appreciation for the Gujarat model, he forcefully argues: "Whatever development has taken place in Gujarat is because of the initiative of industrialists. And whatever Amethi has earned is only because of the Gandhis."